Flour dough also known, is a simple but artistic production of high folk art. It first flour, glutinous rice flour as the main raw material, together with color, paraffin wax, honey and other ingredients, after the crack mildew treatment, made of colored soft dough.

Dough according to the desired artist, these dough is kneaded several times in the hands, rubbing, kneading, lift, with a small bamboo knife: point, cutting, carving, scratching, molded body, hand, head, face, hair accessories and put on clothes, the instant between, a wide variety of artistic images they sell is made, there are graceful, elegant dress beauty, there are innocent children, there are all kinds of fairy tales, drama characters and historical figures.

These people come alive on the surface of delicate glass box, it has become a favorite of arts and crafts. Dough small, portable, durable and no mold, no crack, deformation, discoloration, and therefore for tourists favorite, is the best gift friends and relatives. During a visit of foreign tourists dough production, both for artists consummate skill, varied and vivid characters of the dumping, said Beijing human face, "China's sculpture."

- Beijing faces of people -

 the origin and development of dough

Speaking of the origin of dough, in fact, very common. In many parts of China's ancient folklore festivals do the "cake" made of flour when Yoshinobu, "Chinese Date", "Moon cake", "fish face", "goat face" of customs, as these are typically contains pasta food offerings or ritual blessing sense. These surfaces do "fruit pattern" both delicious and good-looking, it also contains seeking Jina Fu wishes, loved by the people. Slowly it appears a special master dough and shape into various characters with mold or hand, animal placed on the market, Chapman, those colored dough children gradually became enjoy crafts designed for.

Figurines origin of specific age is no longer available research, the earliest extant ancient people face, is unearthed in Turpan Astana area Yeonghwiwon Tang Dynasty four years (653 years) of flour female figurines head, bust and face the male pig figurines. In the Song Dynasty, dough Folk Festival has become very popular custom. Song Meng veterans "Beautiful Dream Tokyo" and reads: "cooking cooked the day before that of the Cold Food, made with indium dates face, delphinium, wicker string, the plug on the lintel, that the son of Yan push" and "oil molasses such as making children smile, that the fruits of tricks. " At that time pasta, the "armor" People, "drama" character, "baby birds", "Chebi shape" and can be described as "Kit Kat one hundred end."

Ming and Qing Dynasties, art dough figurines have become the most important means of livelihood artist has a strong artistic and economic value, become. Xianfeng three years of the Qing Dynasty (1854), Shandong Heze Mu Li Zhuang do clay sculpture of Wang Qingyuan, Guo Xiangyun, who used colored glutinous rice flour dough (locally called "glutinous rice people") sales, very popular. Guangxu years, Tianjin, out of a "face Zhang." His early opera transcriptions, good collation, known as "one hundred sheets", dough figurines of exquisite art, but unfortunately lost their skills in later years.

We are familiar with the modern masters dough to "flour soup" Tang Zibo (1881-1971), "Cao face," Cao policy instrument, "flour Lang" Lang Choain (1910-) the most famous. Tang Zibo people's vivid face, face Cao instrument of policy fine elegance, Lang Choain face a strong sense of people. National Palace Museum is now in possession of some of the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty figurines figures apply instrument played, is from the famous figurines artist Tang Zibo three brothers hand, is still colorful, craft quite mature. There are also "Pink Pan" Pan Shuhua and his son, "Zhao face" broad Ming Zhao et al.

-made of plastic dough Techniques

Chinese figurines of art have been written records as early as the Han Dynasty, after thousands of years of heritage and management, can be described as a long history, it has long been a part of Chinese culture and folk art. Research also can not be ignored real goods department of history, archeology, folklore, sculpture, aesthetics. On kneading style, the Yellow River Basin Gu Pu, rough expansion, bold, deep; the Yangtze River is meticulous, elegant, sophisticated.

Features dough art is "a printed, two pinching three inserts or four roll" (Step clay), and "Wen chest, Wu's belly, the old man's spine, beauty waist.

Dough using their function can be divided into two categories, one is dedicated to the collection of figurines, the other is edible dough. Usually for collection of refined flour dough, glutinous rice flour, salt, preservatives and the like made of sesame oil, and food dough is used for clear powder raw powder is made. This article talk about the dough for collection.

Making dough, and the face is one of the key. Different making dough and pastry making surface, the former need to consider the requirements in terms of dough plasticity, corrosion resistance and the like. Many people will encounter when making dough, such as forming the dough is not easy to create, easy to work blossoms dry mouth and other issues. The main reason, I'm afraid the producer did not fully grasp the know-how and the surface of the dough.

The production methods of the flour, glutinous rice flour, salt, and preservatives on the pot evenly, then Xu Xu pour boiling water and stirring with chopsticks, and then the dough repeatedly rubbing until the "light" effect: the surface light, a light hand, basin light. Pressed into the dough sheet by hand, cage steam taken out about 45 minutes, with the sheet surface rapidly and uniformly kneaded sesame oil, then put in a plastic bag with a towel Wrap the dough is left for 24 hours to pull its weight, to use advertising a color toning.

Beginners who in the dough and face, because of the proportion of the amount of raw materials and production methods of control is not good and other reasons, prone to the following questions:

1. The dough is too dry, it will cause the dough easy adhesion between the components. Main reason for this is that when the surface of the water and added to the flour too little or too much. Adding water and kneading but must find if a problem, only glue or white latex with 502 parts of the adhesive.

2. The dough is too soft dough that is lost Glucosamine. When the surface is mainly due to water or glutinous rice flour and add too much due. Its solution is: The dough is placed in the cool air, can be blown to the dough when the non-stick.

3. Stretch the dough is too large, which may cause minor portion of dough can not be portrayed. Just as with plastic knife orbital good pressure, will immediately bounce restitution like. The solution is simple, steamed into the cage immediately after the dough can be reconciled.　

Chapped or vermin 4. hairy when stored ready-made dough works. After adding salt and sesame oil or glycerin, an increase in dough strength, the role of the mouth does not crack blossoming dough. Therefore, as long as the above two raw material discharge surface enough, and sufficiently kneading with other materials, it works to prevent dry. Addressed in the works vermin long hair, it is due to insufficient amount of preservative.